By Damion Mitchell, Staff Reporter
Professor Ishenkumba Kahwa (right), head of the Chemistry Department at the University of the West Indies, Mona, in discussion with Professor Kenneth Hall, principal, at the institution's media appreciation luncheon held on campus on Tuesday. - Rudolph Brown/Staff Photographer
PROFESSOR KENNETH Hall, principal of the University of the West Indies, (UWI) Mona, has said that while the proposed review of the education system is necessary, shifting the priority from tertiary education would be unwise.
"An objective examination will show that assigning low priority to higher education will be an inappropriate policy choice," he said Tuesday at the University's media appreciation luncheon, held at its Visitor's Lodge and Conference Centre.
Professor Hall cited the recent World Bank annual report, which highlights the need for countries to educate their people at higher standards, as knowledge becomes more important.
"The quality of knowledge generated within higher educational institutions and its availability to the wider economy is becoming increasingly critical to national competitiveness," said the UWI principal.
TOTAL DISASTER
Following the release of the 2003 Caribbean Examination Council (CXC) results, descri-bed as a "total disaster" by Dr. Ralph Thompson, a member of the National Council on Educa-tion, the Ministry of Education announced that it would be reducing the annual subventions to the island's tertiary institutions to funnel more resources into early childhood education.
The decision has sparked debate, with one of the emerging arguments also being the need for more resources to high schools to address the poor examination grades.
Currently, the Jamaican Government allocates just under $1 billion to the UWI.
Professor Hall said that subventions from Caricom Govern-ments account for 64 per cent of the university's income, while 17 per cent is derived from student fees and the remaining 19 per cent through several income generating activities.
STUDY
He said against that background, to rationally position tertiary institutions, a study was conducted by several stakeholders on how to further develop the system.
The study, he said, examined the mission of tertiary educational institutions, access to higher education, finance, collaboration, curriculum, and programmes.
Professor Hall did not offer details of the draft proposals which emanated from the study but said the recommendations would be presented to the Government.
In addition, the UWI at its 2004 Mona Academic Confer-ence dubbed 'Towards the Development of a National Education System: Private Good or Public Courtesies' will further reinforce its position on what it sees as requisites for the optimal development of a tertiary education system.
Only recently, the UWI appointed a five-member panel at its Mona campus, to identify the strategic challenges facing that institution.
According to Professor Hall, 14 recommendations were made which, among other things, suggested that the UWI positions itself as a research-driven institution operating at global standards, while diverting from the "extremely significant" reliance on government funding.
"If we are to carry out this, we will require foresight and patience but we are committed to the notion that repositioning this university in the current environment is an imperative," he said.
